Monday, June 3, 2013

How to repair the body and mind

There are only 24 hours in a day, and for many age
group athletes, each hour of the day is crammed until overflowing. They
typically juggle a full-time job, a demanding training schedule and
family commitments, and then find time to pay their bills, buy
groceries, pick up dry cleaning, run to the bank and then, hopefully,
grab a few hours of sleep.

Often the combination of these day-to-day activities in conjunction
with training, can become too much. The triathlete starts to complain of
feeling overwhelmed, tired and burnt out.

But there is good news – it’s common for athletes to feel this way
during the competitive season as workload and intensity is far greater.
And you will be pleased to read that your triathlon season is not
doomed. Outlined below are several techniques pro-cyclists use to get
out of that fatigued state and feel ready to successfully complete the
remaining season. You can apply them to your triathlon activities too.

Complete days off

The simplest and easiest solution to repair the body and mind is to
rest. Taking complete days off and not doing any strenuous activity may
be the solution for many of you. In addition to forgoing your training
schedule, try and clear your mind by going to a movie or heading to a
local café for brunch. Getting out of your routine will help to relax
your body and mind.

Hot/cold treatment

The contrast of soaking in hot water immediately followed by very
cold water quickens and then slows the flow of blood throughout the
body, thus aiding muscle recovery. This can be done at home by standing
under a hot shower for two minutes and then standing under a cold shower
for 30-to-45 seconds and repeating this process three-to-four times. If
you have a shower and a bath, you could fill the bath with cold water
and a few bags of ice and transfer back and forth between a hot shower
and a cold bath.

Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy such as walking, kicking and swimming in water is
recommended by many coaches, masseurs and physiotherapists as a method
of rehabilitation and recovery. Many studies suggest that the feel of
the water on the body relaxes the athlete and puts them in a better
frame of mind, while also making the muscles feel better. Walking in the
shallows at the beach really helps – just ask the many football teams
who regularly do this.

Elevate your legs

Propping your legs above your head helps the blood flow back towards
your heart. Many professional cyclists, after hard training, lie on the
floor and prop their legs up against the wall to help the blood flow and
speed up recovery. Another great recovery tool are compression socks.

Yoga and stretching

Yoga is an activity used by many athletes. Learning to control your
breathing, while stretching and often using imagery are powerful
relaxing techniques. Many of the low-impact yoga exercises can be used
daily to cope with stress management.

Massage

Getting a regular massage will not only assist muscle recovery, but may also help prevent injuries.

Routine health check

In more serious cases, the athlete may not feel any better after a
period of rest and it’s worth considering a visit to your doctor. It
could be poor nutrition combined with heavy training and long hours at
work that has led to a decrease in iron and/or other minerals and
vitamins. Low iron is more frequently experienced by female athletes,
but once diagnosed, can be treated quickly.

Watch for warning signs

It’s important to listen to your body and recognize when you are
pushing the limit too far. Try not to ignore the warning signs so your
body doesn’t go into the red zone. When I was competing in
national-level triathlons, I had built regular rest weeks (light
swimming only, no running or cycling) into my season to ensure I didn’t
drop into a fatigued state. Sometimes it’s good to take a day off, and
rest your way into faster times for the remainder of the triathlon
season.